1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods of treating cardiovascular diseases, and specifically relates to combinations of compounds, compositions, and methods for their use in medicine, particularly in the prophylaxis and treatment of hyperlipidemic conditions such as are associated with atherosclerosis, hypercholesterolemia, and other coronary artery disease in mammals. More particularly, the invention relates to ileal bile acid transporter (IBAT) inhibiting compounds. The invention also relates to fibric acid derivatives (fibrates).
2. Description of Related Art
It is well-settled that hyperlipidemic conditions associated with elevated concentrations of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol are major risk factors for coronary heart disease and particularly atherosclerosis. Since high levels of LDL cholesterol increase the risk of atherosclerosis, methods for lowering plasma LDL cholesterol would be therapeutically beneficial for the treatment of atherosclerosis and other diseases associated with accumulation of lipid in the blood vessels. These diseases include, but are not limited to, coronary heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, and stroke.
Atherosclerosis underlies most coronary artery disease (CAD), a major cause of morbidity and mortality in modern society. High LDL cholesterol (above about 180 mg/dl) and low HDL cholesterol (below 35 mg/dl) have been shown to be important contributors to the development of atherosclerosis. Other diseases or risk factors, such as peripheral vascular disease, stroke, and hypercholesterolemia are negatively affected by adverse HDL/LDL ratios.
Interfering with the recirculation of bile acids from the lumen of the intestinal tract is found to reduce the levels of serum cholesterol in a causal relationship. Epidemiological data has accumulated which indicates such reduction leads to an improvement in the disease state of atherosclerosis. Stedronsky, in xe2x80x9cInteraction of bile acids and cholesterol with nonsystemic agents having hypocholesterolemic properties,xe2x80x9d Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, 1210, 255-287 (1994) discusses the biochemistry, physiology and known active agents surrounding bile acids and cholesterol.
Transient pathophysiologic alterations are shown to be consistent with interruption of the enterohepatic circulation of bile acids in humans with an inherited lack of IBAT activity, as reported by Heubi, J. E., et al. See xe2x80x9cPrimary Bile Acid Malabsorption: Defective in Vitro Ileal Active Bile Acid Transportxe2x80x9d, Gastroenterology, 83, 804-11 (1982).
In another approach to the reduction of recirculation of bile acids, the ileal bile acid transport system is a putative pharmaceutical target for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia based on an interruption of the enterohepatic circulation with specific transport inhibitors (Kramer, et al., xe2x80x9cIntestinal Bile Acid Absorptionxe2x80x9d The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 268 (24), 18035-46 (1993).
In several individual patent applications, Hoechst Aktiengesellschaft discloses polymers of various naturally occurring constituents of the enterohepatic circulation system and their derivatives, including bile acid, which inhibit the physiological bile acid transport with the goal of reducing the LDL cholesterol level sufficiently to be effective as pharmaceuticals and, in particular for use as hypocholesterolemic agents. The individual Hoechst patent applications which disclose such bile acid transport inhibiting compounds are each separately listed below.
R1. Canadian Patent Application No. 2,025,294.
R2. Canadian Patent Application No. 2,078,588.
R3. Canadian Patent Application No. 2,085,782.
R4. Canadian Patent Application No. 2,085,830.
R5. EP Application No. 0 379 161.
R6. EP Application No. 0 549 967.
R7. EP Application No. 0 559 064.
R8. EP Application No. 0 563 731.
Selected benzothiepines are disclosed in world patent application number WO 93/321146 for numerous uses including fatty acid metabolism and coronary vascular diseases.
Other selected benzothiepines are known for use as hypolipaemic and hypocholesterolemic agents, especially for the treatment or prevention of atherosclerosis as disclosed in application No. EP 508425. A French patent application, FR 2661676 discloses additional benzothiepines for use as hypolipaemic and hypocholesterolaemic agents. Furthermore, patent application no. WO 92/18462 lists other benzothiepines for use as hypolipaemic and hypocholesterolaemic agents. U.S. Pat. No. 5,994,391 (Lee et al.) Each of the benzothiepine hypolipaemic and hypocholesterolaemic agents described in these individual patent applications is limited by an amide bonded to the carbon adjacent the phenyl ring of the fused bicyclobenzothiepine ring.
Further benzothiepines useful for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia and hyperlipidemia are disclosed in patent application no. PCT/US95/10863. More benzothiepines useful for the prophylaxis and treatment of hypercholesterolemia and hyperlipidemia as well as pharmaceutical compositions of such benzothiepines are described in PCT/US97/04076. Still further benzothiepines and compositions thereof useful for the prophylaxis and treatment of hypercholesterolemia and hyperlipidemia are described in U.S. application Ser. No. 08/816,065.
In vitro bile acid transport inhibition is disclosed to correlate with hypolipidemic activity in The Wellcome Foundation Limited disclosure of the Patent Application No. WO 93/16055 for xe2x80x9cHypolipidemic Benzothiazepine Compounds.xe2x80x9d That publication describes a number of hypolipidemic benzothiazepine compounds. Additional hypolipidemic benzothiazepine compounds (particularly 2,3,4,5-tetrahydrobenzo-1-thi-4-azepine compounds) are disclosed in Patent Application No. WO 96/05188. A particularly useful benzothiazepine disclosed in WO 96/05188 is the compound of formula B-2. Further hypolipidemic benzothiazepine compounds are described in Patent Application No. WO 96/16051. 
Other benzothiazepine compounds useful for control of cholesterol are described in PCT Patent Application No. WO 99/35135. Included in that description is the compound of formula B-7. 
Further IBAT inhibitor compounds include a class of naphthalene compounds, described by T. Ichihashi et al. in J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., 284(1), 43-50 (1998). In this class, S-8921 (methyl 1-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-3-(3-ethylvaleryl)-4-hydroxy-6,7,8-trimethoxy-2-naphthoate) is particularly useful. The structure of S-8921 is shown in formula B-20. Further naphthalene compounds or lignin derivatives useful for the treatment or prophylaxis of hyperlipidemia or atherosclerosis are described in PCT Patent Application No. WO 94/24087. 
Fibric acid derivatives comprise another class of drugs which have effects on lipoprotein levels. Among the first of these to be developed was clofibrate, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,262,850, herein incorporated by reference. Clofibrate is the ethyl ester of p-chlorophenoxyisobutyric acid. A widely used drug in this class is gemfibrozil, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,836, herein incorporated by reference. Gemfibrozil frequently is used to decrease triglyceride levels or increase HDL cholesterol concentrations (The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, p. 893). Fenofibrate (U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,552) has an effect similar to that of gemfibrozil, but additionally decreases LDL levels. Ciprofibrate (U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,973) has similar effects to that of fenofibrate. Another drug in this class is bezafibrate (U.S. Pat. No. 3,781,328). Warnings of side effects from use of fibric acid derivatives include gall bladder disease (cholelithiasis), rhabdomyolysis, and acute renal failure. Some of these effects are exacerbated when fibrates are combined with HMG CoA reductase inhibitors due to their combined effects on the liver.
Some combination therapies for the treatment of cardiovascular disease have been described in the literature. Combinations of IBAT inhibitors with HMG CoA reductase inhibitors useful for the treatment of cardiovascular disease are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/037,308.
A combination therapy of fluvastatin and niceritrol is described by J. Sasaki et al. (Id.). Those researchers conclude that the combination of fluvastatin with niceritrol xe2x80x9cat a dose of 750 mg/day dose does not appear to augment or attenuate beneficial effects of fluvastatin.xe2x80x9d
L. Cashin-Hemphill et al. (J. Am. Med. Assoc., 264 (23), 3013-17 (1990)) describe beneficial effects of a combination therapy of colestipol and niacin on coronary atherosclerosis. The described effects include nonprogression and regression in native coronary artery lesions.
A combination therapy of acipimox and simvastatin shows beneficial HDL effects in patients having high. triglyceride levels (N. Hoogerbrugge et al., J. Internal Med., 241, 151-55 (1997)).
Sitostanol ester margarine and pravastatin combination therapy is described by H. Gylling et al. (J. Lipid Res., 37, 1776-85 (1996)). That therapy is reported to simultaneously inhibit cholesterol absorption and lower LDL cholesterol significantly in non-insulin-dependent diabetic men.
Brown et al. (New Eng. J. Med., 323 (19), 1289-1339 (1990)) describe a combination therapy of lovastatin and colestipol which reduces atherosclerotic lesion progression and increase lesion regression relative to lovastatin alone.
Buch et al. (PCT Patent Application No. WO 9911263) describe a combination therapy comprising amlodipine and a statin compound for treating subjects suffering from angina pectoris, atherosclerosis, combined hypertension and hyperlipidemia, and to treat symptoms of cardiac arrest. Buch et al. describe in PCT Patent Application No. WO 9911259 a combination therapy comprising amlodipine and atorvastatin.
Scott et al. (PCT Patent Application No. WO 9911260) describe a combination therapy comprising atorvastatin and an antihypertensive agent.
Dettmar and Gibson (UK Patent Application No. GB 2329334 A) claim a therapeutic composition useful for reducing plasma low density lipoprotein and cholesterol levels, wherein the composition comprises an HMG CoA reductase inhibitor and a bile complexing agent.
The above references show continuing need to find safe, effective agents for the prophylaxis or treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
To address the continuing need to find safe and effective agents for the prophylaxis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, combination therapies of cardiovascular drugs are now reported.
Among its several embodiments, the present invention provides a combination therapy comprising the use of a first amount of an IBAT inhibitor and a second amount of another cardiovascular therapeutic useful in the prophylaxis or treatment of hyperlipidemia, atherosclerosis, or hypercholesterolemia, wherein said first and second amounts together comprise an anti-hyperlipidemic condition effective amount, an anti-atherosclerotic condition effective amount, or an anti-hypercholesterolemic condition effective amount of the compounds. For example one of the many embodiments of the present invention is a combination therapy comprising therapeutic dosages of an IBAT inhibitor and a fibric acid derivative. A preferred embodiment of the present invention is a combination therapy comprising therapeutic dosages of a benzothiepine IBAT inhibitor and a fibric acid derivative.
A further embodiment of the instant invention comprises the use of any of the cardiovascular combination therapies described herein for the prophylaxis or treatment of hypercholesterolemia, atherosclerosis, or hyperlipidemia. Therefore, in one embodiment the present invention provides a method for the prophylaxis or treatment of a hyperlipidemic condition comprising administering to a patient in need thereof a combination in unit dosage form wherein the combination comprises a first amount of an ileal bile acid transport inhibiting compound and a second amount of a fibric acid derivative compound wherein the first amount and the second amount together comprise an anti-hyperlipidemic condition effective amount of the compounds.
In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method for the prophylaxis or treatment of an atherosclerotic condition comprising administering to a patient in need thereof a combination in unit dosage form wherein the combination comprises a first amount of an ileal bile acid transport inhibiting compound and a second amount of a fibric acid derivative compound wherein the first amount and the second amount together comprise an anti-atherosclerotic condition effective amount of the compounds.
In still another embodiment, the present invention provides method for the prophylaxis or treatment of hypercholesterolemia comprising administering to a patient in need thereof a combination in unit dosage form wherein the combination comprises a first amount of an ileal bile acid transport inhibiting compound and a second amount of a fibric acid derivative compound wherein the first amount and the second amount together comprise an anti-hypercholesterolemic condition effective amount of the compounds.
Further scope of the applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided below. However, it should be understood that the following detailed description and examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
The following detailed description is provided to aid those skilled in the art in practicing the present invention. Even so, this detailed description should not be construed to unduly limit the present invention as modifications and variations in the embodiments discussed herein can be made by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the present inventive discovery.
The contents of each of the references cited herein, including the contents of the references cited within these primary references, are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The following definitions are provided in order to aid the reader in understanding the detailed description of the present invention:
xe2x80x9cIleal bile acid transporterxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cIBATxe2x80x9d is synonymous with apical sodium co-dependent bile acid transporter, or ASBT.
xe2x80x9cBenzothiepine IBAT inhibitorxe2x80x9d means an ileal bile acid transport inhibitor which comprises a therapeutic compound comprising a 2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1-benzothiepine 1,1-dioxide structure.
xe2x80x9cCombination therapyxe2x80x9d means the administration of two or more therapeutic agents to treat a hyperlipidemic condition, for example atherosclerosis and hypercholesterolemia. Such administration encompasses co-administration of these therapeutic agents in a substantially simultaneous manner, such as in a single dosage form having a fixed ratio of active ingredients or in multiple, separate dosage forms for each inhibitor agent. In addition, such administration also encompasses use of each type of therapeutic agent in a sequential manner. In either case, the treatment regimen will provide beneficial effects of the drug combination in treating the hyperlipidemic condition.
The phrase xe2x80x9ctherapeutically effectivexe2x80x9d is intended to qualify the combined amount of inhibitors in the combination therapy. This combined amount will achieve the goal of reducing or eliminating the hyperlipidemic condition.
xe2x80x9cTherapeutic compoundxe2x80x9d means a compound useful in the prophylaxis or treatment of a hyperlipidemic condition, including atherosclerosis and hypercholesterolemia.
The combinations of the present invention will have a number of uses. For example, through dosage adjustment and medical monitoring, the individual dosages of the therapeutic compounds used in the combinations of the present invention will be lower than are typical for dosages of the therapeutic compounds when used in monotherapy. The dosage lowering will provide advantages including reduction of side effects of the individual therapeutic compounds when compared to the monotherapy. In addition, fewer side effects of the combination therapy compared with the monotherapies will lead to greater patient compliance with therapy regimens.
Compounds useful in the present invention encompass a wide range of therapeutic compounds. Some IBAT inhibitors useful in the present invention are disclosed in patent application no. PCT/US95/10863, herein incorporated by reference. More IBAT inhibitors are described in PCT/US97/04076, herein incorporated by reference. Still further IBAT inhibitors useful in the present invention are described in U.S. application Ser. No. 08/816,065, herein incorporated by reference. More IBAT inhibitor compounds useful in the present invention are described in WO 98/40375, herein incorporated by reference. Additional IBAT inhibitor compounds useful in the present invention are described in U.S. application Ser. No. 08/816,065, herein incorporated by reference. Further IBAT inhibiting compounds useful in the present invention are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,994,391, herein incorporated by reference. IBAT inhibitors of particular interest in the present invention include those shown in Table 1, as well as the diastereomers, enantiomers, racemates, salts, and tautomers of the IBAT inhibitors of Table 1.
Fibric acid derivatives useful in the combinations and methods of the present invention comprise a wide variety of structures and functionalities. Preferred fibric acid derivative compounds for the present invention are described in Table 2. The therapeutic compounds of Table 2 can be used in the present invention in a variety of forms, including acid form, salt form, racemates, enantiomers, zwitterions, and tautomers. The individual patent documents referenced in Table 2 are each herein incorporated by reference.
The compounds (for example, ileal bile acid transport inhibiting compounds or fibric acid derivative compounds) useful in the present invention can have no asymmetric carbon atoms, or, alternatively, the useful compounds can have one or more asymmetric carbon atoms. When the useful compounds have one or more asymmetric carbon atoms, they therefore include racemates and stereoisomers, such as diastereomers and enantiomers, in both pure form and in admixture. Such stereoisomers can be prepared using conventional techniques, either by reacting enantiomeric starting materials, or by separating isomers of compounds of the present invention.
Isomers may include geometric isomers, for example cis-isomers or trans-isomers across a double bond. All such isomers are contemplated among the compounds useful in the present invention.
The compounds useful in the present invention also include tautomers.
The compounds useful in the present invention as discussed below include their salts, solvates and prodrugs.
The compositions of the present invention can be administered for the prophylaxis and treatment of hyperlipidemic diseases or conditions by any means, preferably oral, that produce contact of these compounds with their site of action in the body, for example in the ileum, plasma, or liver of a mammal, e.g., a human.
For the prophylaxis or treatment of the conditions referred to above, the compounds useful in the compositions and methods of the present invention can be used as the compound per se. Pharmaceutically acceptable salts are particularly suitable for medical applications because of their greater aqueous solubility relative to the parent compound. Such salts must clearly have a pharmaceutically acceptable anion or cation. Suitable pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts of the compounds of the present invention when possible include those derived from inorganic acids, such as hydrochloric, hydrobromic, phosphoric, metaphosphoric, nitric, sulfonic, and sulfuric acids, and organic acids such as acetic, benzenesulfonic, benzoic, citric, ethanesulfonic, fumaric, gluconic, glycolic, isothionic, lactic, lactobionic, maleic, malic, methanesulfonic, succinic, toluenesulfonic, tartaric, and trifluoroacetic acids. The chloride salt is particularly preferred for medical purposes. Suitable pharmaceutically acceptable base salts include ammonium salts, alkali metal salts such as sodium and potassium salts, and alkaline earth salts such as magnesium and calcium salts.
The anions useful in the present invention are, of course, also required to be pharmaceutically acceptable and are also selected from the above list.
The compounds useful in the present invention can be presented with an acceptable carrier in the form of a pharmaceutical composition. The carrier must, of course, be acceptable in the sense of being compatible with the other ingredients of the composition and must not be deleterious to the recipient. The carrier can be a solid or a liquid, or both, and is preferably formulated with the compound as a unit-dose composition, for example, a tablet, which can contain from 0.05% to 95% by weight of the active compound. Other pharmacologically active substances can also be present, including other compounds of the present invention. The pharmaceutical compositions of the invention can be prepared by any of the well known techniques of pharmacy, consisting essentially of admixing the components.
Optionally, the combination of the present invention can comprise a composition comprising an ileal bile acid transport inhibiting compound and a fibric acid derivative. In such a composition, the ileal bile acid transport inhibiting compound and the bile acid sequestering compound can be present in a single dosage form, for example a pill, a capsule, or a liquid which contains both of the compounds.
These compounds can be administered by any conventional means available for use in conjunction with pharmaceuticals, either as individual therapeutic compounds or as a combination of therapeutic compounds.
The amount of compound which is required to achieve the desired biological effect will, of course, depend on a number of factors such as the specific compound chosen, the use for which it is intended, the mode of administration, and the clinical condition of the recipient.
In general, a total daily dose of an IBAT inhibitor can be in the range of from about 0.01 to about 1000 mg/day, preferably from about 0.1 mg to about 50 mg/day, more preferably from about 1 to about 10 mg/day.
A total daily dose of a fibric acid derivative can generally be in the range of from about 1000 to about 3000 mg/day in single or divided doses. Gemfibrozil or clinofibrate, for example, are frequently each administered separately in a 1200 mg/day dose. Clofibrate is frequently administered in a 2000 mg/day dose. Binifibrate is frequently administered in a 1800 mg/day dose.
The daily doses described in the preceding paragraphs for the various therapeutic compounds can be administered to the patient in a single dose, or in proportionate multiple subdoses. Subdoses can be administered 2 to 6 times per day. Doses can be in sustained release form effective to obtain desired results.
In the case of pharmaceutically acceptable salts, the weights indicated above refer to the weight of the acid equivalent or the base equivalent of the therapeutic compound derived from the salt.
Oral delivery of the combinations of the present invention can include formulations, as are well known in the art, to provide prolonged or sustained delivery of the drug to the gastrointestinal tract by any number of mechanisms. These include, but are not limited to, pH sensitive release from the dosage form based on the changing pH of the small intestine, slow erosion of a tablet or capsule, retention in the stomach based on the physical properties of the formulation, bioadhesion of the dosage form to the mucosal lining of the intestinal tract, or enzymatic release of the active drug from the dosage form. For some of the therapeutic compounds useful in the present invention (e.g., an IBAT inhibitor or a fibric acid derivative), the intended effect is to extend the time period over which the active drug molecule is delivered to the site of action (e.g., the ileum) by manipulation of the dosage form. Thus, enteric-coated and enteric-coated controlled release formulations are within the scope of the present invention. Suitable enteric coatings include cellulose acetate phthalate, polyvinylacetate phthalate, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose phthalate and anionic polymers of methacrylic acid and methacrylic acid methyl ester.
The combinations of the present invention can be delivered orally either in a solid, in a semi-solid, or in a liquid form. When in a liquid or in a semi-solid form, the combinations of the present invention can, for example, be in the form of a liquid, syrup, or contained in a gel capsule (e.g., a gel cap).
Pharmaceutical compositions according to the present invention include those suitable for oral, rectal, topical, buccal (e.g., sublingual), and parenteral (e.g., subcutaneous, intramuscular, intradermal, or intravenous) administration, although the most suitable route in .any given case will depend on the nature and severity of the condition being treated and on the nature of the particular compound which is being used. In most cases, the preferred route of administration is oral.
Pharmaceutical compositions suitable for oral administration can be presented in discrete units, such as capsules, cachets, lozenges, or tablets, each containing a predetermined amount of at least one therapeutic compound useful in the present invention; as a powder or granules; as a solution or a suspension in an aqueous or non-aqueous liquid; or as an oil-in-water or water-in-oil emulsion. As indicated, such compositions can be prepared by any suitable method of pharmacy which includes the step of bringing into association the active compound(s) and the carrier (which can constitute one or more accessory ingredients). In general, the compositions are prepared by uniformly and intimately admixing the active compound with a liquid or finely divided solid carrier, or both, and then, if necessary, shaping the product. For example, a tablet can be prepared by compressing or molding a powder or granules of the compound, optionally with one or more assessory ingredients. Compressed tablets can be prepared by compressing, in a suitable machine, the compound in a free-flowing form, such as a powder or granules optionally mixed with a binder, lubricant, inert diluent and/or surface active/dispersing agent(s). Molded tablets can be made by molding, in a suitable machine, the powdered compound moistened with an inert liquid diluent.
Pharmaceutical compositions suitable for buccal (sub-lingual) administration include lozenges comprising a compound of the present invention in a flavored base, usually sucrose, and acacia or tragacanth, and pastilles comprising the compound in an inert base such as gelatin and glycerin or sucrose and acacia.
Pharmaceutical compositions suitable for parenteral administration conveniently comprise sterile aqueous preparations of a compound of the present invention. These preparations are preferably administered intravenously, although administration can also be effected by means of subcutaneous, intramuscular, or intradermal injection. Such preparations can conveniently be prepared by admixing the compound with water and rendering the resulting solution sterile and isotonic with the blood. Injectable compositions according to the invention will generally contain from 0.1 to 5% w/w of a compound disclosed herein.
Pharmaceutical compositions suitable for rectal administration are preferably presented as unit-dose suppositories. These can be prepared by admixing a compound of the present invention with one or more conventional solid carriers, for example, cocoa butter, and then shaping the resulting mixture.
Pharmaceutical compositions suitable for topical application to the skin preferably take the form of an ointment, cream, lotion, paste, gel, spray, aerosol, or oil. Carriers which can be used include petroleum jelly (e.g., Vaseline), lanolin, polyethylene glycols, alcohols, and combinations of two or more thereof. The active compound is generally present at a concentration of from 0.1 to 50% w/w of the composition, for example, from 0.5 to 2%.
Transdermal administration is also possible. Pharmaceutical compositions suitable for transdermal administration can be presented as discrete patches adapted to remain in intimate contact with the epidermis of the recipient for a prolonged period of time. Such patches suitably contain a compound of the present invention in an optionally buffered, aqueous solution, dissolved and/or dispersed in an adhesive, or dispersed in a polymer. A suitable concentration of the active compound is about 1% to 35%, preferably about 3% to 15%. As one particular possibility, the compound can be delivered from the patch by electrotransport or iontophoresis, for example, as described in Pharmaceutical Research, 3(6), 318 (1986).
In any case, the amount of active ingredient that can be combined with carrier materials to produce a single dosage form to be administered will vary depending upon the host treated and the particular mode of administration.
The solid dosage forms for oral administration including capsules, tablets, pills, powders, gel caps, and granules noted above comprise one or more compounds useful in the present invention admixed with at least one inert diluent such as sucrose, lactose, or starch. Such dosage forms may also comprise, as in normal practice, additional substances other than inert diluents, e.g., lubricating agents such as magnesium stearate or solubilizing agents such as cyclodextrins. In the case of capsules, tablets, powders, granules, gel caps, and pills, the dosage forms may also comprise buffering agents. Tablets and pills can additionally be prepared with enteric coatings.
Liquid dosage forms for oral administration can include pharmaceutically acceptable emulsions, solutions, suspensions, syrups, and elixirs containing inert diluents commonly used in the art, such as water. Such compositions may also comprise adjuvants, such as wetting agents, emulsifying and suspending agents, and sweetening, flavoring, and perfuming agents.
Injectable preparations, for example, sterile injectable aqueous or oleaginous suspensions may be formulated according to the known art using suitable dispersing or setting agents and suspending agents. The sterile injectable preparation may also be a sterile injectable solution or suspension in a nontoxic parenterally acceptable diluent or solvent, for example, as a solution in 1,3-butanediol. Among the acceptable vehicles and solvents that may be employed are water, Ringer""s solution, and isotonic sodium chloride solution. In addition, sterile, fixed oils are conventionally employed as a solvent or suspending medium. For this purpose any bland fixed oil may be employed including synthetic mono- or diglycerides. In addition, fatty acids such as oleic acid find use in the preparation of injectables.
Pharmaceutically acceptable carriers encompass all the foregoing and the like.
In combination therapy, administration of two or more of the therapeutic agents useful in the present invention may take place sequentially in separate formulations, or may be accomplished by simultaneous administration in a single formulation or separate formulations. Administration may be accomplished by oral route, or by intravenous, intramuscular, or subcutaneous injections. The formulation may be in the form of a bolus, or in the form of aqueous or non-aqueous isotonic sterile injection solutions or suspensions. These solutions and suspensions may be prepared from sterile powders or granules having one or more pharmaceutically-acceptable carriers or diluents, or a binder such as gelatin or hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, together with one or more of a lubricant, preservative, surface active or dispersing agent.
For oral administration, the pharmaceutical composition may be in the form of, for example, a tablet, capsule, suspension, or liquid. Capsules, tablets, etc., can be prepared by conventional methods well known in the art. The pharmaceutical composition is preferably made in the form of a dosage unit containing a particular amount of the active ingredient or ingredients. Examples of dosage units are tablets or capsules. These may with advantage contain one or more therapeutic compound in an amount described above. For example, in the case of an IBAT inhibitor, the dose range may be from about 0.01 mg/day to about 500 mg/day or any other dose, dependent upon the specific inhibitor, as is known in the art. Also by way of example, in the case of a fibric acid derivative, the dose range may be from about 0.01 mg to about 500 mg or any other dose, dependent upon the specific inhibitor, as is known in the art.
The active ingredients may also be administered by injection as a composition wherein, for example, saline, dextrose, or water may be used as a suitable carrier. A suitable daily dose of each active therapeutic compound is one that achieves the same blood serum level as produced by oral administration as described above.
The therapeutic compounds may further be administered by any combination of oral/oral, oral/parenteral, or parenteral/parenteral route.
Pharmaceutical compositions for use in the treatment methods of the present invention may be administered in oral form or by intravenous administration. Oral administration of the combination therapy is preferred. Dosing for oral administration may be with a regimen calling for single daily dose, or for a single dose every other day, or for multiple, spaced doses throughout the day. The therapeutic compounds which make up the combination therapy may be administered simultaneously, either in a combined dosage form or in separate dosage forms intended for substantially simultaneous oral administration. The therapeutic compounds which make up the combination therapy may also be administered sequentially, with either therapeutic compound being administered by a regimen calling for two-step ingestion. Thus, a regimen may call for sequential administration of the therapeutic compounds with spaced-apart ingestion of the separate, active agents. The time period between the multiple ingestion steps may range from a few minutes to several hours, depending upon the properties of each therapeutic compound such as potency, solubility, bioavailability, plasma half-life and kinetic profile of the therapeutic compound, as well as depending upon the effect of food ingestion and the age and condition of the patient. Circadian variation of the target molecule concentration may also determine the optimal dose interval. The therapeutic compounds of the combined therapy whether administered simultaneously, substantially simultaneously, or sequentially, may involve a regimen calling for administration of one therapeutic compound by oral route and another therapeutic compound by intravenous route. Whether the therapeutic compounds of the combined therapy are administered by oral or intravenous route, separately or together, each such therapeutic compound will be contained in a suitable pharmaceutical formulation of pharmaceutically-acceptable excipients, diluents or other formulations components. Examples of suitable pharmaceutically-acceptable formulations containing the therapeutic compounds for oral administration are given above.
Treatment Regimen
The dosage regimen to prevent, give relief from, or ameliorate a disease condition having hyperlipemia as an element of the disease, e.g., atherosclerosis, or to protect against or treat further high cholesterol plasma or blood levels with the compounds and/or compositions of the present invention is selected in accordance with a variety of factors. These include the type, age, weight, sex, diet, and medical condition of the patient, the severity of the disease, the route of administration, pharmacological considerations such as the activity, efficacy, pharmacokinetics and toxicology profiles of the particular compound employed, whether a drug delivery system is utilized, and whether the compound is administered as part of a drug combination. Thus, the dosage regimen actually employed may vary widely and therefore deviate from the preferred dosage regimen set forth above.
Initial treatment of a patient suffering from a hyperlipidemic condition can begin with the dosages indicated above. Treatment should generally be continued as necessary over a period of several weeks to several months or years until the hyperlipidemic disease condition has been controlled or eliminated. Patients undergoing treatment with the compounds or compositions disclosed herein can be routinely monitored by, for example, measuring serum LDL and total cholesterol levels by any of the methods well known in the art, to determine the effectiveness of the combination therapy. Continuous analysis of such data permits modification of the treatment regimen during therapy so that optimal effective amounts of each type of therapeutic compound are administered at any point in time, and so that the duration of treatment can be determined as well. In this way, the treatment regimen/dosing schedule can be rationally modified over the course of therapy so that the lowest amount of the therapeutic compounds which together exhibit satisfactory effectiveness is administered, and so that administration is continued only so long as is necessary to successfully treat the hyperlipidemic condition.
A potential advantage of the combination therapy disclosed herein may be reduced dosage amount of any individual therapeutic compound, or all therapeutic compounds, effective in treating hyperlipidemic conditions such as atherosclerosis and hypercholesterolemia. The dosage lowering will provide advantages including reduction of side effects of the individual therapeutic compounds when compared to the monotherapy.
One of the several embodiments of the present invention comprises a combination therapy comprising the use of a first amount of an IBAT inhibitor and a second amount of another cardiovascular therapeutic useful in the prophylaxis or treatment of hyperlipidemia or atherosclerosis, wherein said first and second amounts together comprise an anti-hyperlipidemic condition effective amount or an anti-atherosclerotic condition effective amount of said compounds. For example one of the many embodiments of the present invention is a combination therapy comprising therapeutic dosages of an IBAT inhibitor and a fibric acid derivative. A preferred embodiment of the present invention is a combination therapy comprising therapeutic dosages of a benzothiepine IBAT inhibitor and a fibric acid derivative.